Universal joint



R.V KECK.

UNIVERSAL Jol-NT.v n APPLICATION FILED .IULYV23 |918.

119418,38@a PantedJune 6, 1922 I 'l ./z

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v l l 4 "l f |I| ':Ii|,I u 2@ Z0 A y I Z l jvyzfsfvfa@ the shaft 2 andcoupling member 'ATENTQ C11-FicE..l

ROBERT Knox, or CHICAG, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To THE Do oBLn-DRIVE'ritiro-Iii COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION zOlli* SOUTH:DAKOTA. i

UNIVERSAL JOINT,

Application filed July 23,

To all ztf/wm it fntaj/ conce/w.: f

lie it known that I, Ronnn'r Knorr, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new andV useful Improvement in `Universal Joints, of whichthe following is a'specication, the principle ofthe' invention beingherein explained and the best mode in which I have lcontemplatedapplying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present invention, relating, as indicated, to universal couplings,is particularly directed to the provision in a universal coupling orjoint of means adapted to permit of a considerable angle-between thedriving and driven members ofthe coupling, with a minimum of frictionbetween these two parts. further object'of the invention is theprovision of a simple ,universal joint which may be readily assembledand dis-assembled. To the accon'lplishment of the foregoingand relatedends, saidinvention, then, consists of the means hereinafter l fullydescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexedv drawing and the following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention. .such d'isw closed meansconstituting, however,A but one of variousmechanicalv forms in which theprinciple of the invention may be used.

In saidannexed drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through my'improved coupling; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the plane indicatedby the line 2-2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of oneportion ofthe mechanism.

In .Figa 1 there are shown driving and driven members l and 2respectively, to which are suitably attached complementary .cou plingmembers 3 and 4 respectively. The

vshaft 1 may be considered as the driving Shaft, andthe coupling member3 as the driving member of the universal coupling, while 4 be regardedas the driven parts of the coupling. The two members 3- and 4 areprovided with complementary. 'spherically formed engaging portions whichpermit not only of af' turning of the member 4 with respect,to thememberA 3 in the plane represented by the surface of the'shee't ofdrawing. but prevent any relative axialrotation between these twomembers. The member 3 is provided with a sel-"ies of radially arrangedrecesses 5 within the shafts l and l2 respectively, capable, b v reasonof these hollow centers, of

i918. serial No.,24'si,2s4i,

`Specification of Letters Patent. l Ptentgd Junes, 192,2 l

which are mounted lribs, each'of which is vprovided withv a sphe'ricallyformed surface 7 adapted to -t snugly against a similarly formed surfaceonI the inner portion of 'the member 3, and'with a second'sphericallyformed surface l8; These I'ribs 6 are' held in lposition in the recesses5 by means ,of a cover plate 9 which is bolted-thereto, andwhich also'serves' to enclose and retain ineng'agei ment with'spherically formedsurfaces 7` and 8 on members '3 and 6, the driven member 4A of thevcoupling. The construction .of the members 3 and 4 is apparent from Fig.1, theseparts being'hollowed out and bolted to andbeing a largeangularity with' respect to eachother.

The drivenmember 4 is formed with `two sets of spherically formedsurfaces, the first set of such surfaces 1'() being formedr to engageagainst the surfaces 7 on the inner por-- tion of the rib (i, while thesecondy set of spherically formed surfaces `11 on the member 4 areformed in recesses cut therein, adapted to receive the ribs 6,. whilethe surfaces 11 are in engagement with the surfaces 8 on these ribs.There is thus a large surface area of contact between the driving anddriven members. although this contact is secured through broken orinterrupted surfaces.v a portion being between the surfaces 7 and 10,and the remainderl between the surfaces 8 and 11. By thus providing sucha considerable amount of bearing surface between the driving and drivenmembers of the coupling` the weari-s distributed throughout this entiresurface, and no looseness will result even after long periodsofuse whileengagement of the ribs G in the recesses having the surfaces 11 preventsany relative rotation of movement between the driving and drivenmembers.

A cover plate y12 is fastened to the outer side of the member 9 by beingpositioned beneath the bolts 20 which secure the ring this cover orplate9 to the member 3, and plate 12` is provided with Spherically formedFlange 13'which the extending portion of the spherically formed member4. Between the cover plate 13 and the memberl4, there is provided a fitsAloosely about cover platefl2, the use of thepacking gland between thesetwo membersrenders it possi; ble forthe universal joint to be packedwith lubricant and to hekept tight' during its use. Thisis alv featureof. some. importance, as -Inanyunlversal Joints-.1n common use areAextremely 'difficult ytof lubricate, and must often'. be protecteclr'-by Vflexible covers n of leatheror other.; material which is not avsatisfactory means vofretaining lubricant i `.It will be observedvv thatthe recesses in the member-4 for 'the-ribs 6 extend from the.

inner, edgeof the member 4 to ai point" which,

when the driving and driven members arev .15 in substantial alinemen-t,liesin agplane sub-4 stantially :Hush with the outer surface of thecoverplate 9`, and'that the spherical surfaces or recess engaging portions ofthe ribs 6 vextend inwardly and beyondthat portion of the ribs engagingthe member 3,' thus affording'V considerable lsurface engagement betweenthe -membersl and the vribs 6 and permitting amp'lei'ange 'of angularmove- Vment on the parts of the coupling, and by this construction andvthe provisionjof the cover plate 12 and the packing 14 carried by themember/l an oil-tight and dust-proof joint is. always maintainedbetween. the two members of the joint during 4 the I relative angular.movements of the parts'.

`Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may beiemployedinstead of the one explained, changebeingmade as regards the mechanismherein disclosed, pro-` vided the means statedby any ofthefollowinggclaims or the equivalent of such stated meansbe employed.

I- therefore particularly point out and disn auniversal coupling, thecombination of a driving and a driven shaft, hollow members rigidlysecured to the ends of said respective shafts, sphericaljsurfaces formedon'thvinner portion of the driving member and the outer portion of thedriven mem'- ber, a pluralityoflongitudinalv grooves formed .inthe-outer surfa'ce of said driven Imember', a plurality ofribslmving"spheril ltiono'f a.v driving and a driven shaft, hollowmembers rigidly secured to the ends of said respective shafts,.spherical surfaces formed on the inner portion of thedriving member andthe outer portion of the driven member,

.alplurality of longitudinal grooves lformed on the outer surface ofsaid ldriven member, a packlng. groove formed circumferentially of saiddriven member -adjacent its outer i end, a packing -ring seated in saidgroove .and-adapted to wipe the'i` inner surface of said driving member,a cover plate mounted on lsaid driving member and adaptedfto contact:with the 'outer surface Ofsaid driven Amember and with said packingringat its greatestoutward distance of travel, a plurality of ribshaving spherical top and-'bottom, surfaces andlateral shoulders formingspherical bearing contacts, interposed loe-r` tween thefdriving anddrivenmembers and Itheir lower-portions lclosely received within saidgrooves formed in the outer surface of said driven. member, positioningstuds formed on-.the forward ends of saidrespective' ribs, and socketsin said driving member receiving said studs. Y i v a Signed byme, this17 day of July, 1918.

p 'i 1 l ROBERT KECK.

